Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) has officially decided against launching a presidential campaign.
Hogan, who has been a staunch critic of Donald Trump, told CBS News that while he gave “serious consideration” to pursuing the Republican nomination he ultimately felt he did not need to run for another office.
“I did give it serious consideration and I talked to people everywhere and I talked to my family,” Hogan told CBS News. “And it was a tough decision. But I’ve decided that I will not be a candidate for the Republican nomination for president.”
The two-term Maryland governor said it was not the idea of running against Trump that deterred him from launching a campaign but noted it would have been an uphill battle. Trump has dominated amongst 2024 prospective polls and handily won the Conservative Political Action Conference’s (CPAC) straw poll.
Trump won with 62 percent, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), likely his closest rival, came in at 20 percent. Businessman Perry Johnson, who announced his candidacy for the White House this week, earned 5 percent.
Trump won last year’s straw poll at CPAC in Orlando, Fla., with 59 percent support. DeSantis scored 28 percent in that straw poll.
“That didn’t really scare me,” Hogan said. “You’re right. It would be a tough race. And he’s very tough. But, you know, I beat life-threatening cancer. So having Trump call me names on Twitter didn’t really scare me off.”
Hogan asserted he was not running to give other candidates who are polling in the “single digits” a chance to challenge front-runners such as Trump and DeSantis.
“I didn’t want to have a pile up of a bunch of people fighting,” Hogan said. “Right now, you have Trump and DeSantis at the top of the field, they’re soaking up all the oxygen, getting all the attention. And then a whole lot of the rest of us in single digits and the more of them you have, the less chance you have for somebody rising up.”
“I didn’t need that job,” Hogan said. “I didn’t need to run for another office. It was really, I was considering it because I thought it was public service and maybe I can make a difference.”
Good decision NOT to run.
hogan ryan romney etc, sore losing fail kings. never accomplished anything for the good of the country. but have so much to say about the best pres in my 84 year life span . go away and let this god sent man run the country as he did for 4 years .
Hogan finally finds a way to be relevant in National politics by getting out of the race for President. He didn’t have a chance but he would have undoubtedly hurt conservatives chances of throwing the Marxist, socialist, fascist moron in chief, out of office. That should be the entire goal of every patriotic American who believes in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. To support the democrats, is to support disorder, chaos and the new world order of Marxist, totalitarian, fascism. Thank you Larry for all those you are helping to save who otherwise will be crushed under the heel of these fascists.
amazing how these dummasses come to there senses when they have to produce the truth
AMEN Well-stated. Pat Cheers!